Proper 23 :: II Kings 5: 1–5, 7–15c; Psalm 111; II
Timothy 2: 8–15; Luke 17: 11-19
This is a homily
by Fr. Gene Tucker, written to be given at St. John’s Church in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania on
Sunday, October 9, 2016.
“’THIS
IS A TEST’, A TEST OF FAITH”
(Homily texts: II Kings 5: 1–5, 7–15c & Luke 17: 11–19)
We
are all familiar with the warnings of the system that warns of approaching
storms or other disasters that come over the radio or on television
programs…normally, these warnings are preceded by a very annoying series of
beeps (no doubt designed to get our attention), and then the words “This is a
test of the emergency warning system….” (or words to that effect). In fact, the
protocol for these warnings is so important that, just a year ago or so, a
television program was fined for using the warning in an episode of their
program. Apparently, it is illegal to use the warning when it isn’t an actual
emergency or if it doesn’t involve a routine, recurring test of the system.
That’s how important this warning is.
Let’s
borrow the phrase “This is a test”, if we may, for in today’s Old Testament
reading from II Kings, and our Gospel text from Luke, those who come seeking
healing from leprosy are confronted with a test.
We
begin our consideration of the testing that was put before Naaman, the Syrian[1]
army commander, and before the ten lepers who had come to Jesus seeking
healing, by looking at the situation involving Naaman.
Naaman
is directed to the home of the prophet Elisha. There, the testing begins. Let’s
notice the steps:
- Elisha does not come out to greet Naaman. Instead, Elisha sends a messenger to convey God’s instruction on what Naaman must do in order to be healed.
- Elisha tells Naaman that he must bathe in the Jordan River seven times.
- Naaman wonders why he should do this. After all, he says, “Aren’t the waters of the rivers in Damascus better than the rivers in Israel?”
- Naaman’s servant reminds him that what Elisha has told him to do isn’t something that’s difficult. In fact, bathing in the Jordan is something that is easy, the servant says.
Now,
let’s look at the situation with the ten men who were affected with leprosy.[2]
Here
is the testing that Jesus puts before them:
- As the ten ask the Lord to “have mercy on us”,[3] He responds by telling them to go to the priest and present themselves.[4]
- The Lord does not heal the ten men then and there. They leave in their diseased condition.
- Technically, all ten are still considered to be unclean according to the dictates of the Law of Moses. In such a state, none of them can approach the priest (or anyone else).
- The men’s healing takes place only when they step out in faith to go to the priest.
As
we read our way through the accounts we find in the Gospels, more often than
not (it seems to me) the Lord puts some sort of a test in the way of people who
come to Him asking for help. The Lord often uses the phrase we hear this
morning, “Your faith has made you well,” as those who seek healing are
delivered from their conditions.
As
we consider our situation in asking the Lord for something, oftentimes we
approach the Lord with the same sort attitude that Naaman had….we expect the
Lord to do something like wave His hand over our situation or our need. Put
another way, what we expect is for God to do all the work, while we sit idly
by, waiting to receive God’s blessing.
But
we have our part to do, in cooperation with the Lord: We may be tested in some way, a testing that
confirms our faith in the Lord’s ability to answer our request. We may be asked
to take some step (or steps) to bring about the solution to our need, God being
our ultimate help.
Not
long ago, I passed by a church whose sign had the following message: “Prayer without faith is just wishful
thinking”.
May
we look forward to the Lord’s testing, for in such a way we are asked to
examine what it is we think we need, and in such a way, we demonstrate our
faith in God’s ability to meet those needs.
AMEN.
[1] The writer of Second Kings uses an ancient
name for Syria, Aram. We know from the mention of Damascus that Syria is the
place from which Naaman came.
[2] The term leprosy is used in the Bible to
denote a wide range of skin disorders, not just what is known today by the
term.
[3] Another requirement of the Law of Moses is
missing here. It is the requirement that
the diseased men not only keep their distance from others, but that they cry
out “Unclean, unclean” in order to warn anyone who might come near of their
condition.
[4] The Law of Moses required that a priest
declare that a person had been cured of their disease.
